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Challenges of the Articles of ConfederationThe first governing system of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, placed most government power in the hands of the states. The weaknesses of this system led states to call for a new Constitution. The Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of ConfederationThe Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The need for a stronger Federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites | Selected Bibliography Digital Collections A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789
James Madison Papers, 1723 to 1859
Printed Ephemera: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera
Thomas Jefferson Papers, 1606 to 1827
America's Library Jump Back in Time: The Articles of Confederation Were Adopted, November 15, 1777 Exhibitions Creating the United States
The Teachers Page American Memory Timeline: Policies and Problems of the Confederation Government
Today in History November 15, 1777
September 17, 1787 External Web Sites Articles of Confederation, Avalon Project at Yale Law School Articles of Confederation, National Archives and Records Administration Our Documents, Articles of Confederation, National Archives and Records Administration Selected Bibliography Hoffert, Robert W. A Politics of Tensions: The Articles of Confederation and American Political Ideas. Niwot: University Press of Colorado, 1992. [Catalog Record] Jensen, Merrill. The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution 1774-1781. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1970. [Catalog Record] -----. The New Nation: A History of the United States during the Confederation, 1781-1789. New York: Knopf, 1950. [Catalog Record] Wood, Gordon S. The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1969. [Catalog Record] Younger Readers Callahan, Kerry P. The Articles of Confederation: A Primary Source Investigation into the Document that Preceded the U.S. Constitution. New York: Rosen Primary Source, 2003. [Catalog Record] Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. The Articles of Confederation: The First Constitution of the United States. Brookfield, Conn.: Twenty-First Century Books, 2002. [Catalog Record] Price Hossell, Karen. The Articles of Confederation. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004. [Catalog Record] Roza, Greg. Evaluating the Articles of Confederation: Determining the Validity of Information and Arguments. New York: Rosen Pub., 2006. [Catalog Record] What was the main problem that led to the failures of the Articles of Confederation?Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress. There was no national court system. Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote.
What was the biggest issue facing ratification of the Constitution?A central issue at the Convention was whether the federal government or the states would have more power. Many delegates believed that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, but others feared that a strong federal government would oppress their citizens.
What event proved that the Articles of Confederation was not working?Shays's rebellion led Washington and other Nationalists— including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison—to proclaim the Articles of Confederation inadequate and urge support for the Constitution produced by the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
What are 3 reasons why the Articles of Confederation failed quizlet?The Articles of Confederation failed because they left too much power with the states. The federal government had no power to levy or collect taxes, no power to regulate trade, and no power to enforce laws. There was also no executive branch under the Articles of Confederation, and no national court system.
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